Alejandro Falla, Horacio Zeballos through to the final – Bolivar Open 2012 CH
Alejandro Falla defeats Martin Alund 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-2
Top seed, Alejandro Falla of Colombia, survived the bashing in the second set to rally past Martin Alund of Argentina 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-2 in the semi-final at the Seguros Bolivar Open in Barranquilla, Colombia on Saturday.
Falla and Alund broke each other twice in the opening set, evening out the score at 6-6 and forcing a tie-breaker. The Colombian attained a 6-3 lead and foiled his opponent’s try to equalise, sealing it 7-6(5).
Alund struck in the opening game of the second set and held his next serve to build a 2-0 lead. Falla hit back to square off the score at 2-2. The Argentinean captured four of the next five games after that and grabbed it 6-3.
Backed by the support of his home crowd, Falla made a great start in the decider, making double breakthrough to take a 4-0 lead. The Colombian did not let away the advantage, closing it 6-2.
Falla needed two hours and 17 minutes to overcome the Argentinean in a fiercely fought contest.
There was not a big difference between both players according to the statistics. However, the Colombian handled pressure better than Alund in the crunch situations.
Falla is slated to meet another Argentinean, Horacio Zeballos, in the final.
Horacio Zeballos beats Pedro Sousa 7-6(6), 6-4
Seventh seed, Horacio Zeballos, reached the title match, after beating Pedro Sousa in straight sets 7-6(6), 6-4 in the semis. The Argentinean, Zeballos, required one hour and 44 minutes to win the match.
Sousa was first to take lead, as he snatched a break in the fourth game to go up 3-1. Zeballos came back in the eighth game and levelled the score at 4-4. The rest of the set went with serve to force a tie-breaker. The Argentinean
snatched two consecutive points in the end to bag it 7-6(6).
Souza was himself to blame, as he was too rusty on the second serve, committing four double faults and claiming just five of the 17 points on them. Zeballos’ first serve was almost flawless, banging in two aces and pocketing 22
of the 24 points on them in the opener.
The Argentinean needed only a single breakthrough to clinch the second set 6-4.
Zeballos put away the only threat on his serve and converted one of the two opportunities he created. Both players hit three aces and two double faults in the second set.
This will be Falla and Zeballos’ fifth meeting on the ATP Challenger Tour. They are tied 2-2 in the head to head record.
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